Chicago Flame: April 26, 2005

Chicago Flame: Asian American Resource Center Celebrates Opening

By Kristine C. Ostil

The Asian American Resource and Cultural Center (AARCC) celebrated its grand opening on April 21, the third week of Asian American Awareness Month. The great turnout of people included speakers like Michael Tanner, Provost of UIC, and Rich Lim, from the Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Asian Americans. The center is located in Taft Hall 101 and can now be accessed by students and faculty.

After over ten years, the struggle for the resource and cultural center has finally been accomplished.

AARCC aspires to increase the understanding of Asian American issues in UIC, strengthen the Asian American community, and support the expansion of Asian American Studies at UIC.

Karen Su, Director of AARCC, explains that opening the center is also the first step to increasing educational, personal, and professional help for Asian Americans.

"There has been a lack of institutional resources specifically focusing on the Asian American at UIC, so this is really the first manifestation of recognizing their needs and providing concrete resources," Su said.

This is the first year UIC has opened a resource and cultural center for its Asian American students. UIC contains similar programs for its diverse minority students like LARES, the Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services Program, or AAAN, the African-American Academic Network.

To symbolize the opening of AARCC, the crowd of students, administration, guests and families gathered along a red ribbon stretching across Taft Hall's hallway in the first floor. With a number of students and administration holding scissors in their hands, they cut the long ribbon together, signifying the passing of the legacy to current and future students.

Soo Yon Suh, third year political science major, is happy a center for Asian Americans is finally here.

"I'm really glad that AARCC opened up, it took a lot of effort from the students and it's definitely about time that we got something and with AARCC, I'm really hopeful that we can push on for greater things, like the Asian American Studies Program on campus," Suh said.

Before the Asian American Resource and Cultural Center was established, the Asian American Coalition Committee came to UIC administration to propose their idea of the center. However, proving that Asian Americans also need resources like the other minority groups became a difficult task.

Heather DeGuia, Chair of Asian American Coalition Committee, states that the administration did not think Asian Americans needed a resource and cultural center.

"I think that there was a lot of struggle for the students pushing for the AARCC because there's a lot of resistance from the administration to give Asian American students resources because I think it has a lot to do with stereotypes and the fact that they think that Asian Americans don't need anything and that we're honorary white people who have it all, and that is not true," said DeGuia.

AARCC promises to be the main center for Asian Americans. With 21 percent of students Asian American and 13 percent of faculty and staff, AARCC will have many individuals to serve. AARCC is currently working with faculty to develop Asian American Studies curriculum and is also pushing for the expansion of Asian American Studies in UIC.